Part 1:
From part of “A Leader’s Legacy” I think the most poignant quote was, “We guarantee that what people will say about you will not be about what you achieved for yourself but what you achieved for others. Not how big a campfire you built but how well you kept others warm, how well you illuminated the night to make them feel safe, and how beautiful you left the campsite for those who would come after you to build the next fire.” (19)
This quote really stuck out to me because it states the truth about being a leader. Being a leader is not about what you achieved but how your achievements helped others or benefitted others. To be a leader one must look out for the best interest of the whole and not just themselves. If a person is able to look at what they do and how it will affect the future, than they are a good leader and are not selfishly thinking about what will put them ahead of everyone else. I hope that in my lifetime I can become this type of person because I have yet to master thinking completely about how my actions and achievements affect the people that I surround myself with.
Part 2:
I think that part 2 of “A Leader’s Legacy” is one of the more important parts of the book because it talks about the important of relationships. The relationship between the leader of a group and its other members is really important because without a good relationship it is hard for the leader to show authority. To build a good relationship within an organization, people need to let others get to know them and what their talents, strengths and weaknesses are because without these qualities we would not be human. One thing that a leader should never do is show favoritism to certain people because this can cause distain within the larger group.
Form this section one quote really stuck out to me, “No matter how much formal power and authority our positions give us, we’ll only leave a lasting legacy if others want to be that relationships with us.” This quote shows the true power of a group. If others you and others are not willing to create a positive relationship than it will be hard to function as one cohesive group. It is difficult to have a completely cohesive group because there is always the chance that people within the organization are not a fan of the person who is in charge of the organization. I think that even if the leader of the organization and certain members cannot get along, they can still function and still respect each other enough to not cause issues that can affect the entire organization.
The first part of a Leaders legacy made good points about what certain qualities that leaders should have and they are not true leaders if they do not have these qualities. One quality that really stood out to me was, "If we are going to be authentic in our leadership, we have to be willing to serve, and we have to be willing to suffer." (14).
ReplyDeleteThis really stood out to me because I never thought a leader would have to suffer. However, when you think about it this statement couldn't be more true. For example, if someone on your fraternity or sorority screws up, it negatively impacts the entire organization.
The first part of the quote is also true because you need to serve others on your team. For example, the president of a fraternity/sorority needs to make sure that everything is running smoothly in the organization. They also need to make sure that everyone in positions below them have what they need to get the job done.
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